Whitaker Refuses Recusal: Ethics Officials Say He Should — Lackeys Say Don't

Trump's new BFF could try to fire Mueller

Apparently Amigo Donald agrees

(Ditto: Camarada Whitaker)

Watch the below video clip on Whitaker and the article that follows.

My view: Whitaker must recuse himself. He has proven his bias and it is slanted toward protecting Trump at all costs, and it is obvious to anyone except apparently, Trump and Whitaker.

Whitaker and his comments and refusal to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation from this update from the Washington Post is this statement from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – whom I disagree with a lot:

Schumer said in a statement that Whitaker’s refusal to recuse “... is an attack on the rule of law and the American justice system, but it is undoubtedly consistent with what President Trump wanted —an unethical yes-man who will do his bidding rather than do what’s right.”

The highlights of this story that shows that the Senate must not allow this to stand from Whitaker:  A senior DOJ ethics official concluded that the Acting AG Matthew Whitaker should recuse from overseeing special counsel Robert S. Mueller’s probe examining Trump.

However, advisers to Whitaker recommended the opposite and he has no plans to step aside, people familiar with the matter said.

Earlier Thursday, a different official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said ethics officials had advised Whitaker need not step aside, only to retract that description of events hours later.

The advice to stay away from the Mueller probe underscores the high stakes and deep distrust — within Congress and in some corners of the DOJ — surrounding Whitaker’s appointment as the nation’s top law enforcement official until the Senate votes on the official nomination and confirmation of William P. Barr to take the job – that Sessions was fired from by Trump.

Whitaker did not return messages seeking comment.

The DOJ formally notified Congress of Whitaker’s decision not to recuse himself, writing in a letter that while an ethics official felt he should do so to avoid to appearance of a conflict, that official could not identify a precedent for such a recusal.

My note on this last part: The official said there was “no precedent for such a recusal” – a simple reason: Maybe not but it is common sense just as it was when Sessions lied about meeting with any Russians (but he did and lied after he met with the Russian Ambassador specifically).

Rest of article is here at the Washington Post site.

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